


Tales of a Modern Hero

by AitanaTheFangirl



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 18:39:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6020791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AitanaTheFangirl/pseuds/AitanaTheFangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Link is a totally average guy in a totally average High School. But things tumble downhill once he starts having these dreams about a crazy destiny...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Link and Ravio

    Golden triangles…

    A girl’s distant scream...

    The cold laughter in the darkness…

    Link awoke with a start as a cheerful tune played on his phone.  _ Time to get up.  _ He pushed the dismiss button. Even though he’d gotten a full night’s sleep, he felt like he could sleep for seven years, like he hadn’t slept all night. Dreams always did that to him. And they happened a lot.

    But he had to forgo the seven year slumber today: Link remembered that he had promised to meet Saria. They would walk to school together.

    Link dragged himself out of bed and pulled on a green t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, as well as a pair of brown fingerless gloves Saria had made for him after a kid in 6th grade made fun of him for the birthmark on the back of his right hand (three strangely geometric triangles, arranged in a larger triangle). He’d been amazingly self conscious of it ever since.

    Fully dressed, he walked into the next room. It was a mess, like the moon hit it.

    “Ravio!” he said, flicking the light switch on and off. “Time for school!”

    “I’m calling in sick…” Ravio said, his voice muffled by the pillow his face rested on, his deep purple hair tousled by sleep.

    “I thought you had a test today,” Link said.

_ “Exactly,”  _ Ravio replied.

    Once again, Link realized how different he and Ravio were… almost like polar opposites. It was almost hard to believe they were twins.

    Link sighed. “C’mon, Ravio,” he said, gently freeing a white pair of jeans and a purple hooded sweatshirt with rabbit’s ears from the wreckage in Ravio’s room. “I’ll even make breakfast,” Link said. Ravio slowly sat up as Link left the room.

    Link had scrambled eggs made when Ravio came into the kitchen, his rabbit hood covering his hair and his eyes staring aimlessly in the distance.

    Ravio sat at the table and Link brought over eggs and orange juice. Ravio looked at Link with an intense look, undiminished by sleepiness, those bright green eyes shadowed by his hood. “You okay?” he asked. “You seem off this morning.”

    Link could swear Ravio was psychic or something. He sighed. “Yeah… had another dream last night.”

    “What happened?”

    Link ran Ravio through a brief synopsis. Every once in awhile, Ravio would nod slowly or take a bite of eggs. But Link left out that Ravio was there, too.

    That part made him nervous.

    When Link finished, Ravio stood and took his empty plate to the sink. “You should stop eating so much sugar before you go to bed.”

    “Look who’s talking,” Link replied.

    “It doesn’t give me weird dreams,” Ravio shot back.

    After breakfast, Link tried to do something with his hair. He parted it on the left, but his bangs went whichever way they wanted to. He got fed up and trapped his hair under a green beanie.

    “Link, my ride is here,” Ravio called. 

    “See you after school, then,” Link replied.

    “Yup.”

    Ravio and Link went to different schools because the program at Lorule High worked best for Ravio. Link went to Hyrule High.

    Soon after Ravio left, Link went to meet Saria. He planned to tell her his dream.


	2. Saria

    “You okay?” Saria whispered once they started their walk. Her hair was the bright green of sunlit leaves and she wore a green dress of a similar hue with boots to match. Her blue eyes filled with concern.

    “Yeah… It’s this dream I had… last night,” Link said.

    “Another one?” Saria asked, surprised.

    “Yeah, and they keep getting worse. I don’t know what it is, but it’s terrifying.”

    “What happened this time?”

    Link took a deep breath and began.

    “Ravio and I stood in the darkness. I realized it was a cave with a fork.  _ ‘We each have to go a different way,’ _ Ravio told me.  _ ‘We can’t follow the same path.’  _

    “One had golden light pouring from it and three women’s voices called my name, but I couldn’t see their owners. I began to walk down that way, then I looked back at Ravio.  _ ‘Go,’  _ he said.  _ ‘Your destiny is that way,’  _ then he disappeared down the other path.

    “There was so much light that it blinded me. It came off of three triangles, made of solid gold, just like the mark on my hand.

    “ _ ‘Take a piece, Hero,’  _ the voices said in unison.  _ ‘It is your destiny.’ _

    “I took the piece on the bottom right, and as I held it, its golden glow turned green and the other two triangles disappeared, unimportant to me. A woman’s face reflected in the metal.  _ ‘My name is Farore,’  _ she said, and her voice was one of the three I’d heard before.  _ ‘I am the patron goddess of the piece you hold. Use it wisely.’ _

    “The green light left the triangle in my hands and moved to my right hand, leaving me holding a golden triangle as my hand lit the darkness.

    “Two other lights appeared, red off slightly to the right, and blue off to my slight left. The red glowed brighter and brighter and overcame the blue, turning it slightly purplish. I heard someone scream: a woman in pain. Not knowing what to do, I threw my triangle at the red light.

    “Laughter came from somewhere, like an adult would at a child acting fierce. But it sounded colder, harder, like iron. Then a beam of red light hit me with full force just as the blue light faded completely. Then my alarm went off, waking me up.”

    Saria paused, thinking it over. “That’s intense, Link,” she said. “The lights must be symbolic of something.”

    “That’s what I’m thinking,” Link said. “And I could’ve sworn the blue light’s scream was Zelda Royal.”

    “You mean the ASB President? I don’t know, Link… That’s intense,” Saria said. “You’ve never even talked to her before. She’s way too…  _ up there _ .”

    “And the red light’s voice was familiar, too… It was hard to tell, because all I got was the laugh, but I think it’s Ganondorf Gerudo,” Link said quietly.

    “Top of the magic class? Link, you’re going crazy!” Saria said. “I doubt they even talk.”

    Link didn’t know for sure what was up, but he changed the topic. “So how’s your ‘Keeping Hyrule Green’ thing going?”

    Saria sighed, running a hand in her short green hair. “Me and the others have spent crazy amounts of work on it… and Mido’s crazy motivated. But I don’t think the group is big enough… Nobody thinks twice about a group of 16 kids working for eco-friendly anything, keeping litter out of the parking lots, etc. Mido said he’d talk to Zelda Royal about it to get it addressed at an ASB officers meeting, maybe get some publicity.”

    “Looks like you have your work cut out for you,” Link said.

    “You’d better believe it.  We’ll make it a schoolwide movement eventually,” Saria replied.

    Once they got to school, many people were already there. Ganondorf (or “G” as he preferred to be called unless you wanted your head in a toilet), new from the beginning of the year, complete with a distinct accent, had already teamed up with a few others (namely Vaati, Zant, Veran, and a few others) in teasing a redheaded girl about her chickens. Link didn’t want to pass them by. 

    Not thinking, he walked straight up to them. “Link! Just leave them be!” Saria pleaded.

    “Leave her alone, G,” he said.

    The large-built guy looked down at the 5’4” kid behind him. He grinned. “I’d get out of this if I were you, punk,” he said.

    “You heard what he said,” Saria said, coming to stand by Link. “Leave her alone.”

    G shrugged. “We were just on our way anyway. And if I were you, LeHeiro,” he said, using Link’s last name. “I’d watch my own back in magic class. Let’s go, guys.”

    “I’m not a guy!” Veran shouted indignantly.

    Once they left, the redheaded girl came forward. “Erh… thanks,” she said, red in the face.

    “Oh, it’s fine. G and his buddies are jerks,” Link replied. “My name is Link.”

    “Anju,” She blushed. “People usually aren’t that nice to me… Especially since… Kafei… my boyfriend...” she shook her head. “Nevermind… Thanks for your help.”

    “No problem.”

    Link and Saria continued onward to where Saria hung out with her KHG group. Link primarily hung out with them, but he was a loner to a certain extent… he didn’t really fit anywhere.

    But for the most part, they tolerated him. Not that he said much, he usually just did his homework or something.

    Looking off in the distance, Link was thinking about his dream, when his eyes landed on Zelda Royal herself. Her blue eyes caught Link’s and wouldn’t let go. She smiled and waved.

    Link, realizing he was staring, turned back to his homework, sure his face was red.

    “You like her?” Saria whispered, leaning over to whisper in Link’s ear.

    Link shook his head. “It’s not that…”

    “Is it your dream again?” even quieter.

    He hesitated. “Yeah… Is it possible to be worried about someone you’ve never even spoken to?”

    Saria shrugged. “I don’t see why it wouldn’t be.”

    Just then, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of classes in five minutes.

    Saria picked up her bag. “I won’t be on the bus after school. I’m working on posters today. Can you come? We could use an extra pair of hands.”

    “No… It’s my turn to make dinner tonight. Ravio’s extra busy,” Link said.

    “Alright, then… See you tomorrow?”

    “Sounds good.”


	3. Fi

    Link’s daily schedule went as follows: Biology with Professor Lakeside, History with Professor Impa, Gym with Professor Darunia, Algebra with Professor Rauru, Language Arts with Professor Nabooru, and Magic with Miss Faeri.

    Link didn’t mind his classes too much… Professor Lakeside was not quite there, but Link thought he was brilliant. Professor Impa was secretive and her class had a lot of work involved, but Link still managed to get a good grade. Professor Darunia was likeable, but he expected nothing but the best from his students… and he seemed to regard Link above the rest. Professor Nabooru was interesting. There were rumors flying around that she and G were related, albeit distantly. Miss Faeri was the only teacher Link really had a problem with. She was almost scary, and she was especially fond of Link, even though G was at the top of her class. And he was forever envious.

    Link couldn’t get his mind off of his dream for the rest of the day.

    He was looking for an empty spot at lunch that day when he saw someone new sitting with Zelda. 

    She was a girl, about 5’5”. She sat almost uncomfortably, like it was awkward. Her hair was a bright sky blue and matched one side of her fluttery shawl, the other half deep purple to match her short dress. Link couldn’t see her hands, they must’ve been by her sides or in her lap. She stared at the table. She glanced up and noticed Link. He realized he was staring. He waved to break the tension.

    Her eyes widened in surprise. She smiled and embarrassed smile to return the wave when Zelda also looked in Link’s direction. Zelda said something to the other girl. She quickly shook her head, giving Zelda a look of dismay. Zelda said something else. The other girl sighed and stood, Zelda standing with her. They started walking in Link’s direction. 

_ Oh no…  _ Link thought. He wasn’t much interested in girls, and vice versa. To have 2 coming over to talk to him at once, one of them highly popular, practically screamed bad things were going to happen.

    “Hi,” Zelda said when they reached him, the other girl standing farther back, her arms crossed under her shawl. “I don’t think I’ve met you before. My name is Zelda. This is Fi,” she said, offering Link a handshake. He took it, the other girl just nodding uncomfortably.

    “My name is Link,” he said, gently pulling on the hems of his fingerless gloves after the handshake. He felt just as uncomfortable as Fi looked.

    “Zelda! Come on! We’re hitting the student store for smoothies. You should come!”

    Zelda looked back. “I should go. Fi, I’ll see you after school, right?”

    “Yeah,” Fi replied. Her voice almost had a melodious quality to it.

    “Okay. Bye, Link,” Zelda said, walking backwards to join her friends. “It was nice meeting you.”

    Fi looked at the ground for a moment, awkward, her face flushed. “I’m sorry… I’m not good with social interactions.”

    Link smiled sympathetically. He understood her problem. “Me neither. Much less with girls.”

    Fi laughed nervously. “So… What do you like?”

    Link thought for a moment. “I like to help people. Reading’s okay, too. And not many guys will admit they read.”

    Fi shook her head in understanding.

    “What about you?” Link asked.

    “Oh… uh…” She had been caught off guard. “Singing. And dancing. I’ve always wanted to dance on stage, but it’s awkward, because…” her voice faltered. Her gaze lowered to the floor.

    “Why? What’s wrong?” Link asked.

    Her face reddened. “Something happened when I was a kid… I have no recollection of the incident, but it resulted in the amputation of both my arms.”

    “Ouch…” Link said. “I understand how you feel. I can’t hear much out my left ear.”

    Her eyes rose to his. “Really?”

    “Yup. It’s been that way forever.”

    “That can’t be easy,” Fi said.

    “No easier than not having any hands,” Link said.

    Fi shook her head. “That’s why I live with Zelda and her sister Hilda. They took me in when I had nowhere else to go. I don’t have any family. They give me the help I need.”

    The bell rang to signal the start of classes.

    “Tell you what. I know a dance. I could teach you,” Link said.

    “Seriously?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Okay. Sounds good.”


	4. New Year's Dance??

     Link and Fi became close friends fast. Turns out Fi was quiet and thoughtful, always doing what she could of a homework assignment, despite her handicap. When she wasn’t in public, she would write with her toes, and she was rather good at it. Her footwriting was better than Link’s.

    And Fi was never seen without her favorite pen: an expensive looking, deep purple one with a gold charm on it that Link never saw up close. Somehow, Link never asked about it.

    And hanging around Fi meant, sometimes, hanging out with Zelda.

    It still sent a slight chill up Link’s spine at hearing her voice, so similar to the scream he heard in his dream. But the eerie feeling left quickly.

    Before long, Link and Fi would meet after school nearly every day. Fi got a lot more comfortable with Link as time went on. Soon, she wasn’t awkward anymore.

    And she was quite the dancer. Link and Fi would go to the school courtyard and Fi would show Link what she had. Often, she would sing, too. Link would give her some pointers. (Not that he thought he was a good judge of it, but Fi loved the feedback.) Afterward, Link and Fi would go through their homework and Fi would help him out if he needed it. She was brilliant.

    By then, it would get kind of late. Fi and Link would head in their separate directions and walk home.

    Link would go his way and by the time he got home, Ravio was usually sleeping again. Link would start dinner and wake him up.

    “I think I’m going crazy,” Ravio said once, helping Link clean up after dinner one night.

    “What makes you say that?” Link asked.

    Ravio hesitated. “I kind of asked Hilda Royal out…” he said slowly.

    “When?”

    “This afternoon…” Ravio replied. “She was hanging out with her people. She might not smile much, but her red eyes were shining. I couldn’t help it… I just kind of... asked. There’s a dance in a few weeks… A month, or so. And I didn’t think she would actually accept.”

    Link remembered about the New Year’s Eve dance in a few weeks. “That is coming up, isn’t it?”

    “Yeah…” Ravio said. “I just needed to talk to somebody about it… I’ve been freaking out all day.”

    Link grinned. “It’s great. I don’t even know who to ask to the one at Hyrule… Thinking about asking Saria as a friend.”

    “She seems nice… But what about the girl you’ve been hanging out with?”

    Link’s heart jumped into his throat. “You mean Fi?”

    “Yeah.”

    Link didn’t say much for a moment. He didn’t think Ravio paid much attention to that kind of things. But, again, Ravio often defied expectations.

    “She’s nice… But we’ve barely even met--”

    “You’ve known each other for 3 months,” Ravio said flatly. “You didn’t seem to mind asking Saria.”   
    “That’s different,” Link replied.

    “Whatever,” Ravio said, standing up. “I’m not in charge of your love life.”

 

    A few days later, Link decided he would go with Ravio’s suggestion.

    Fi was sweet and Link didn’t mind her company. She was a tad shy, so she wouldn’t want a big showy dance invitation. But he figured he should get her something at least.

    He want to Zelda for suggestions. “What does Fi like?” he asked her.

    “Why do you ask?” Zelda said.

    Link hesitated, taking a deep breath. “I’m thinking about asking her to the New Year’s Eve Dance. As a friend, you know? Thought I should get her something.”

    “Oh… Um…” Zelda thought for a moment. “I don’t know… She primarily keeps to herself. Sorry, Link, I couldn’t tell you.”

    “It’s okay,” Link said. “I think I might just ask her,” he turned and walked away.

    “Link?”

    He turned to look at Zelda again.

    “If there’s one thing that I know for sure she’d appreciate, it’s a pen. Not your average 1 rupee pen, but a nice one. I don’t know, find one you think she’d like.”

    Link grinned. “Thanks, Zelda.”

    The one that Link had found had a stainless steel barrel. He wanted it to mean something to her, so he had her name engraved on it.

    He presented it to her when he asked. “Hey, Fi?”

    She looked over her shoulder, her dark eyes alight.

    Link took a deep breath. “The New Year’s Eve dance… You want to go with me?” he held out the pen. 

    She was startled for a few moments. Then her eyes lit up again. “Sure! It’ll be great.”


	5. New Year's Dance!!

    The dance was a few weeks later. 

    Link’s outfit was simple, a black tuxedo with an emerald green tie. He even left his gloves at home.

    Fi looked great. Her dress was knee length and sky blue with a sheer, deep purple layer over it. Pale purple ribbons tied at the shoulders served as straps. Her eyes shone. “I’ve never been to a formal dance before,” She whispered to Link.

    “It’s all good,” Link said. “I’ve only been to a few myself.”

    The cafeteria was dimly lit, tiny lights dancing all over the walls. Loud music reverberated off the walls.  A punch bowl was off to the side, a few couples lingering around it. Link’s heart gave a lurch when he saw Zelda, standing with her group: her dress floor length and pale pink with a gold satin sash, more gold satin over her shoulders. Long white gloves covered her hands and a gold tiara sat on her blond hair. 

    She grinned and waved to Link and Fi, who did the same in return.

    They danced for a few hours and enjoyed themselves. Link had never had more fun in his life. 

    They decided to sit for awhile, and Fi’s eyes landed on the triple triangle symbol on Link’s hand. Her eyes widened. 

    “What’s that? On your hand?” she said.

    Link looked at it and shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t really know,” he said. “It’s a strange birthmark, I guess.”

    Fi but her lower lip. “I should probably tell you that Zelda has one too. Exactly the same,” She said quietly.

    Link’s heart skipped a beat.  _ Maybe I’m not alone in this… _ “Um… She hasn’t been talking about… I dunno… crazy dreams lately, has she?”

    Fi shook her head. “Despite being one of the popular girls, Zelda doesn’t say much about her personal life… Not even to me or Hilda. And we’re all like sisters. If she did, she’s doing a good job of--” Fi stopped midsentence, staring straight off into the distance.

    “Are you okay?” Link asked. 

    “Y-yeah…” Fi replied. “We were just talking about Zelda and all of a sudden, I feel like… this is going to sound crazy, but I feel like she needs help.”

    Link paused.  _ This isn’t the slightest bit creepy.  _ “Should we go look for her? The dance should keep going for a few hours. She can't have gone far.”

    Fi stood. “I guess we could.”

    They walked around the school, where pictures were being taken, the dance floor, the sidelines where pairs and groups sat and talked, the check in, no sign of Zelda. At all.

    “I dunno, Fi…” Link said. “Maybe she went home early.”

    Fi shook her head. “I’m downright antsy. Something’s definitely up. Like a sixth sense or some weird, crazy, otherworldly thing… I need to keep looking.”

    “But where else is there to look?” Link asked. “We looked everywhere.”

    “Everywhere that’s on limits,” Fi said.

    Link’s heart skipped a beat. “We’d never get past the chaperones. If we got caught, we’d get kicked out. Zelda wouldn’t have gotten past them, either.”

    “Do you want to find her?”

    The random question threw Link off. He hesitated. “Yeah. She could need help.”

    “Then let’s go,” Fi said, starting down the hallway, Link following suit.


	6. Searching for Zelda

    Before long, Link had taken the front, and Fi was covering him. 

    “Hey, Fi?” Link whispered at one point. “Think you could tell where she is using that ‘sixth sense’ of yours?”

    She hesitated. “I might.”

    She stood still for a moment, her eyes closed. Then her eyes popped open. “We’re going the wrong way,” she said. “I can sense which direction she is and how far away she is.”

    “Where is she?” Link asked.

    “You’re going to think I’m crazy,” Fi said. “She’s down another floor.”

    “But we’re on the base floor,” Link pointed out.

    “ _ Exactly. _ ”

    Link took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

    “If you really do feel apprehensive about this, then...” Fi started.

    “No,” Link said. “I want to help.”

    “That wasn’t what I was about to say,” Fi replied. “I wanted to give you something. You know… A good luck charm?”

    “...Okay?”

    “It’s in my right pocket,” Fi said. 

    Link took it. It was Fi’s pen. Her favorite purple one. Link got a closer look at it. The grip was pale blue and the barrel was deep purple with opalescent glitter. The charm that hung from the end was the triple triangle symbol. “ _ Where _ did you get this?” Link asked.

    Fi looked at him with surprise. “Didn't I tell you?”

    “No,” Link replied. “I never asked about it.”

    “On my first evening in Zelda’s house, she gave it to me,” Fi said. “I don’t know where she got it.”

    The triple triangle thing seemed obviously important. Link wanted to find out why, but he decided Fi probably wouldn’t know why either. “Thanks. I know it means alot to you, do you want this back later, or…”

    “No,” Fi said. “You can keep it. You’re my best friend. I don’t mind letting you have it.”

    Link nodded and tucked the pen into his pocket, continuing on. 

    Link opened a door that Fi had gestured to. There was a long, dark staircase, no lights to be seen. They gave each other a look, both thinking the same thing. “Let’s go,” Link said. Fi started down first.

    The heavy door closed behind them as Link got onto the stairs, the music from the dance near silence.

    The loud music from the dance floor faded the rest of the way as Link and Fi headed deep under the school.

    Faded pictures decorated the walls, the farther down they went, the more elaborate the drawings got. The triple triangle symbol was everywhere, along with people, fire, death, and light coming from a blond kid in a green tunic with a sword. “This is trippy,” Link said.

    “No kidding,” Fi said.

    Once they got to the base of the stairs, a faint light could be seen, but Link couldn’t tell where it came from. The feeling was almost eerie, like something could jump out at any given moment.

    Link and Fi continued to follow the long, narrow hallway, Link’s gift from Fi now in his left hand.

    The hallway gave way to a massive room, deep under the school. Generations of spiders had spun their webs down there, covering almost everything with a thick layer of silk. What used to be fine carpet under Link’s feet gave off plumes of dust with every step.

    At the front of the room, there was a structure taller than Link, but it was difficult to tell what it was with the thick layer of spiderwebs on it.

    “Link…” Fi said. “I think this is the ruins of an old throne room. Deep under the school.”

    He could see it now: There was a huge throne at the front of the room, a deep red carpet, now faded to brown, covered part of the floor. The huge chandelier was also coated with spiderwebs, and it somehow still glowed. Broken pillar pieces littered the floor. 

    “Zelda’s been here,” Fi said. “But it’s faint.”

    “Then let’s find her,” Link said. 

    They didn’t walk much farther before an earth shaking explosion hit the hallway, accompanied with a loud rumble.

    “What was that?” Link said. 

    “I have no clue,” Fi replied. “But we might’ve found Zelda.”


	7. The Truth About Fi

    A hole had been blasted into the wall of the hallway, and in the dust, disturbed for the first time after probably a good hundred years or so, Link saw that the hole gave way to another room, not quite as spacious as the throne room, but huge all the same. As Fi had said, there was Zelda, her pink dress covered in grime, her gloves gone, but she looked okay. And standing nearby was the thing that surprised Link: G was there, his hand smoking like he had fired the blast that put the hole in the wall.

    At first, G seemed surprised. Then he got this grin that was downright terrifying. “Come join us, LeHeiro,” he said. “This is the final remnants of an ancient kingdom, the one that gave this rotting hole of a school its name. This was its castle.

    “The remains have been underground, preserved by the same force that this kingdom once thrived upon. Nobody really knows how it fell. But some of the legends say that one of my ancestors did it, wielding a golden power. In fact, I inherited his name,” G said. 

    “Then why are you trying to kill me for?” Zelda asked, terror on her voice. 

    “The only ones who knew of the golden power’s whereabouts was the Royal Family of Hyrule,” G said. “It’s in your last name, Princess Zelda. Where is it?”

    “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Zelda said, her voice rising.

    “The Triforce!” G said. “Where is it?”

    “Woah, guys…” Link said. “Back up. What golden power? Triforce?”

    “This doesn’t concern you, LeHeiro,” G said, scowling at Link. “It doesn’t concern…” his voice trailed off, his eyes dropping to Link’s right hand, where the triangle symbol could be seen.

    He glanced at Zelda, her left hand, also showing the triangles. “I should’ve known!” he said suddenly. “The Triforce has been right under my nose all along!!”

    “What do you mean?” Link said. 

    “It’s on your hand, LeHeiro,” G replied. “That’s the Triforce symbol. You and the Princess have the two pieces I’ve been looking for!”

    “Don’t give it to him!!” Zelda cried.

    “Quiet, Princess!” G snapped. He turned back to Link. “So, what will it be? If you give me the Triforce piece, you and your friend can go.”

    “Link…” Fi warned. 

    “Stay out of this!” G said. “I don’t know why you’re here, but if you don’t make yourself useful and keep quiet and let the boy make his decision, then I can just as easily send you out.”

    “She won’t follow your orders, Ganondorf!” Zelda said, using his full name, irritating him. “I programmed her that way!”

    Fi’s eyes widened. “Zelda…? Whaa--?” she said, speechless. “ _ Programmed _ ?”

    “I’m sorry, Fi,” Zelda said. “I meant to tell you… But I didn’t know how.”

    “ _ You _ ?” G said incredulously. “ _ You’re  _ the one born of the blade?”

    “Born of the blade?” Link asked her. “What--”

    “I don’t know…” Fi said. “I-I don’t even know what you’re talking about… Zelda?”

    Zelda sighed, tears brimming in her eyes. “I really didn’t mean for you to find out this way, Fi… Yes, you are the one born of the blade. You were originally a project: the HYL14. In short, a magic android. The plans I made eventually ended up succeeding. You were originally F1: the model number I gave you to keep my work organized became your name.

    “The Triforce piece of Wisdom guided me through it. I didn’t know what I was doing. I put my own power in you, the power that’s in the Master Sword, giving you the ability to live and learn like a normal human. It is you, and you are it.

    “You were almost complete. Someone must’ve found out about you and stolen some of my plans. I wasn’t able to recreate them. That’s why your arms are gone.”

    “What if I told you I had them?” G said.

    “What did you do with them?” Fi asked, horrified. 

    “I made an android of my own,” G said. “I was able to bring up what Zelda would have done, with a few modifications, and use it as my own.”

    With those words, A man materialized out of the shadows. He stood pretty tall, his skin pale and his hair silvery white. He was dressed in a simple white shirt, black slacks, and a silvery tie, a blue earring hanging from his left ear. “It’s the D3M12E model. I call him Ghirahim. Increased battle capabilities, he can wield power, shape it, handle it, it forms him.”

    Ghirahim chuckled. “You give me too much credit, Master.”

    “No really…” G said. “The best I’ve done,” he turned back to Zelda. “Well, princess. Let’s see which sword is best, shall we?”

    A long, thin black blade materialized in Ghirahim's hand. “Ready when you are,” he said, looking into Fi’s eyes.


	8. The Master Sword

    “Fi…” Link said. “I really don’t think--”

    “I’ve got this. Everyone knows that the original models are always the best.” Fi ran in, Ghirahim ready to slice her in half. 

    “Fi! Look out!!” Link said. 

    Right as Link spoke, Ghirahim sliced and Fi launched herself into the air, performing a backflip over Ghirahim’s head. She kicked her heeled shoes off as Ghirahim ran at her again. She neatly jumped over the sword as it swung at her, providing a hefty kick to Ghirahim’s upper back, knocking him over.

    Link’s jaw dropped as he watched, noticing that Fi was just messing with him, not putting in real effort. She was a master at foot-to-sword. 

    The fight wore on, sparks of light flaring every time Fi made a hit.

    Eventually, Ghirahim wore out, low on energy, not even a scratch on Fi. He dissipated into blue and purple crystalline dust, leaving behind a pair of robotic, skeletal arms. Fi gently slid her shoes back on and Link glanced from the robotic limbs on the floor and back to Fi again.

    “Fi, that was amazing!” Link said. “Where did you learn to do that?” 

    She shrugged. “I don’t know. It kind of happened.”

    “Enough of your games and pawns, G,” Link said. “It’s over.”

    “LeHeiro, does that mean, you want to fight me yourself?” G asked incredulously.

    Link hesitated. “Yes. 1 on 1.”

    “Alright then. You have a sword? That’s a real man's weapon.”

    Link emptied out his pockets: his phone and Fi’s pen.

    “Link…” Zelda whispered. “The pen is mightier than the sword.”

    A faint shimmer ran down the barrel.  _ Pen… Sword… Master Sword…  _

    “Yes,” Link said. “I have one.”

    G laughed. “You call that a sword? Fine. Call it what you will. Prepare to die, LeHeiro.”

    A heavy, black blade formed in G’s right hand: a Master Sword antithesis.

    Link focused on the pen.  _ I know what you really are, _ he thought to it.  _ A real sword. I don’t know anything about swords, much less mystical ones, just help me out. _

    Light flared on the back of Link’s right hand, and from the pen in his left. The light elongated the pen and it gained weight. 

    When the light died, there was a long sword in Link’s left hand, a violet hilt, a Triforce engraved into the blade. It posessed its own light, gleaming in the half light. 

    The fight began, Link jumping into action. His senses came to life, suddenly aware of everything in the room. His mind automatically calculating risk, chance of making a hit, threat of G’s hits, like it was all innate, like it had all been done before.

    He didn’t know it, but it had.

    The sword had a mind of its own, swirling in a deadly arc, gleaming murderously with each strike. 

    Metal on metal rang through the ancient stone walls, reverberating for what seemed like forever. 

    Occasionally, Ganon’s sword would find its target, burning like fire. The pain would fade, replaced with strength. G may have been powerful, but Link was strong, in more ways than one.

    He was a Hero. 

    With a final blow, G fell to his knees.

    The battle ended, Link’s hands on his knees and the Master Sword shrunk back into a pen. He’d never fought like that in his life.

    “LeHeiro… You may have defeated me now, but I will return. An ancient curse still follows us… I will always return… Until the flow of time runs out…” Then he, too, dissipated. 

    “It’s over… Finally… It’s all over,” Zelda said. “Link, you saved us.”

    Link numbly nodded, unable to say anything.

    “Zelda…?” Fi whispered. 

    Zelda looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

    “If at all possible… If we can… Could we take these back with us?” she asked, pointing to the robotic limbs on the ground with her right foot. “If we could somehow reattach them? It would be nice to have real arms.”

    Zelda grinned, picking them up. “It wouldn’t be easy to get used to them. But I could probably reattach them.”

 

    Link, Zelda, and Fi trudged back up the stairs, Fi’s arms in Zelda’s hands. The dance had just ended. 

    “Well…” Zelda said, breaking the uneasy silence. She glanced over at Link, blushing. “That was… an adventure.”

    “Yeah,” Link said. “But scary. I hope I never have to do it again. But if necessary, I would.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

    Life returned to almost normal. G was gone, much to the surprise of everyone in the school. Link honestly didn’t know what happened to him. Maybe he died. Maybe he was biding his time until he could return to wreak havoc on the school. Link was okay with not knowing.

    Fi stayed home for a few days during repairs. Zelda had told Link that it was hard on Fi’s systems to suddenly have 2 whole new limbs to worry about. 

    But Fi came back eventually, walking into the school at Zelda’s side with a wave and a smile.

    And despite knowing the truth about herself, Fi still didn't tell anyone she was an android... it would make awkward social situations a lot more so.


End file.
